Friday, July 9, 2010

Totally Random

I realized several other bloggers are having "Random" posts, so maybe this is a common summer experience. But there are so many random things in my head today. So here goes.

First, to answer a few questions about our Disney Trip.
We did the Pricess character dinner at the Grand Floridian Hotel. The characters were perfect -- where do they find these people? And the location was gorgeous which allowed for a fun time exploring after the dinner was over.

I don't have many Disney tidbits of advice since we spent a grand total of 5 hours there! But from my experience, here are a few tips.

-1- Under no circumstances should you go in June. Or July. Or probably August. If the temperature is over 90, I would suggest you should just go to Target and browse through the Princess toy aisle. This will be much more enjoyable. And much cheaper. (That said, I do realize that the week we were in Orlando was extremely hot and not necessarily the typical June day.)

-2- There are many great "stroller parking lots" throughout Magic Kingdom which make it easy to stroll when you need to and let the kids roam when it's convenient.

Big tip: when you park your stroller, make sure that it is facing AWAY from the direct sunlight. Otherwise, when you return, your kids will be unable to get back in the stroller for an hour or two. Of course, this again relates to the 99 degree sunshine we were experiencing. Better tip: See #1.

-3- If it is your first trip to Disney, make sure and go to the Welcome Center to get everyone an official "First Visit" pin. These make a cute souvenir and are free!

-4- Go see the 4-D movie. I assume the exact feature changes, but it was tons of fun and we all enjoyed it.

-5- You must see the afternoon parade. As I mentioned in my earlier post, we did NO advanced planning. I wouldn't necessarily recommend that. But, fortunately, we were near the castle getting our picture taken when the park photographer just broke into a choreographed dance. Hmmm... (I think he was secretly hoping to move up some day and become Goofy or a Prince. He had the whole thing memorized and was great!) Then I began to hear the music getting louder and the parade was just beginning. We hurried over to Main Street for an awesome and magical parade of all the Disney characters. I cannot vouch for the evening parade though I have heard it is fantastic too.

-6- There are 2 unbelievable outlet malls nearby. Definitely take some time to visit them.

I still consider myself a Disney novice and hope we can make another trip there when the kids are older...and in February.

Second, when I returned from vacation, I went on a diet.

Yuk. I hate to even write that word. I don't do diets very often. I rarely keep up with my weight and am pretty content to just do things in moderation. But we had been on vacation for over 10 days. I felt yuk and exhausted. I was even getting sick of Chick-fil-A. (I know... blasphemous...) But I decided that I needed to take control of things and my only goal was to feel better.

So... I did it. I gave up sugar and white flour. (I know....blasphemous again.) I did this years ago in law school and it worked really well for me. And I felt pretty challenged by it. I am a southern girl who loves her carbs. I put sugar in my coffee, enjoy pasta and pancakes, and need a bread with every meal. But I wanted to prove to myself that I could do it... and to see if it really made a difference.

My first step was to cut out the sugar from my coffee. This was probably the hardest thing. I really enjoy my sweet cup..cups... of coffee in the morning. But I knew this would evidence my total committment to this lifestyle. I have actually gotten used to the coffee and enjoy it now. It hasn't been too difficult as there are so many whole grain options out there.

But I must tell you that I can tell a TREMENDOUS difference. I have so much more energy throughout the day. And my body has changed completely. (at least to me...nobody else would probably notice). But I have accomplished my goal. I feel so much better.

I won't say that I will never have another grain of sugar or that I haven't taken a bite of my daughter's Orea cakesters that she snuck into the grocery cart. But I have mostly eliminated sugar and white flour from my diet. And I feel good. To each her own.

Third, this new purchase has led to some fun mornings (not afternoons because it is blazingly hot here) and some funny pictures.








Why do kids love to be naked?

I hope you are having an exciting and random summer too!

Photobucket

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

We'll never do Disney in June again, either. We went last June, around the same time you did, and were told that it was record breaking as far as temperatures. It was around 100 each day we were there. If it's happened twice in a row, I wonder if it's a new trend.

Debbi said...

They're just making sure they tan evenly :)

Godfreyhouse said...

Chrystal and Mike took their first trip to Disney the end of April. Seemed to go well. They went with a family that has gone with their, now 4 children, for the past 10 years. They had it well planned and enjoyed 5 days of Disney Magic. Little Bit, aka Mikayla, loved the characters. And cried when Mickey wouldn't continue to hold her.

3 Peanuts said...

So much to comment on...your sisters and you all look SO gorgeous at the shower and wedding! Three beauties whose happiness shines.

Dave and I 100% agree that we would never do Disney in the summer. We are going in October (less heat and less lines).

YOu know (maybe) I did the no sugar and flour (very strictly not one smidgen---even of things that turn to sugar in your body...like vinegar...) It was hard but I did notice big changes. I still avoid as much as I possibly can. Good for you,

Kim